ACC ~ 1 John 2 v22

DENYING THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST. ANDREAS: This was the heresy of Simon, which said that Jesus and the Christ were two different people. According to them, Jesus was a man, the son of Mary, but Christ descended from heaven in the form of a dove at the Jordan. John therefore condemns those who think like that and brands their belief with the name of the devil. There were still others who made a distinction between the Father and some nameless deity beyond him, whom they called the Father of Christ. These too denied Jesus, saying that he was a mere man and did not have the nature of God. CATENA.

THE SUPREME LIE. BEDE: John has already said that every lie is a departure from the truth, but as there are many different kinds of lies, here he is more specific. Denial of Christ is the supreme lie, a lie so great that it is hard to think of anything which can be compared with it. It is a lie which is evident among the Jews, of course, but the heretics, who do not believe in Christ in the right way, are guilty of it as well. It is also the case that orthodox people who do not follow Christ’s commands are guilty of denying that Jesus is the Christ, not because they refuse to give Christ the love and devotion which is his due as the Son of God but because they treat him as if he were a man of no account and are not afraid to contradict what he says. ON 1 JOHN.

DENYING THE FATHER AND THE SON. OECUMENIUS: In addition to the Simonians there were other heretics who followed Valentinus, who said that there was another being who was called the “father” apart from the Father of Christ. They also denied the Son, claiming that he was just a human being and did not possess the nature of God. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

1 Jn